Clinic floats new plan for Marist property in Framingham

After the town rejected plans for an eating disorder treatment center, a Waltham company now proposes to usher the project in under a state law known as the Dover Amendment.

Danielle Ameden/Daily News staff

After the town rejected plans for an eating disorder treatment center, a Waltham company now proposes to usher the project in under a state law known as the Dover Amendment.

Walden Behavioral Care has changed course and now proposes to redevelop the former Marist House campus for nonprofit, educational use under the name Walden Center for Education and Research Inc.

Walden still plans to operate an 80-bed treatment facility for adults and children with eating disorders and mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar illness.

But the emphasis on education is new – with programming planned for patients, professional training and research around neurobehavioral disorders, according to a letter Walden’s attorneys have sent Building Commission Michael Tusino.

Walden is asking Tusino to verify that – one - the project is an educational use that qualifies under the Dover Amendment, and that – two - it thereby requires no zoning approvals and is only subject to limited site plan review.

Walden is seeking the determination while it is also dealing with the town in court.

The Waltham-based health care company and the Marist Fathers of Boston are together appealing the Zoning Board of Appeals’ October decision to deny Walden’s request for a special permit to make the Marist site its corporate headquarters and flagship location.

The Roman Catholic religious order owns the 29-acre site, a former seminary and religious retreat center at 518 Pleasant St.

While two ZBA members voted in favor of the initial project in October, with conditions, Walden needed three votes of approval and Chairman Phil Ottaviani’s vote of opposition prevailed.

After hearing passionate pleas of neighbors who were against the project, Ottaviani said the project, in his opinion, isn't an appropriate use for the site or "in harmony" with the neighborhood.

The sides are due in land court for a case management conference on Jan. 22.

Meanwhile, Town Manager Robert Halpin said Tusino is reviewing Walden’s letter and will compare the new plans to the criteria under the Dover Amendment.

Tusino was not in the office Monday.

Walden seeks to more than double the existing building footprint under its new proposal by renovating the existing Marist House and Bishop’s Hall, then adding four new buildings. The largest, the Center for Research and Education, would house classrooms, an auditorium, function rooms, a library and a nutrition laboratory.

A therapeutic and educational on-site program would allow adolescents and adults to learn strategies and techniques to fully recover from their disorders, attorneys Jim Hanrahan and Katherine Garrahan wrote in the letter to Tusino.

"Given the medical complications associated with eating disorders, individuals who have advanced eating disorders need the 24-hour medical attention that an inpatient setting can provide – but recovery depends upon learning to change behavior," the letter states.

As a requirement, all patients would receive educational services, offered individually, in groups and with their families, the attorneys wrote to Tusino.

Walden would also have its admission and administrative offices and aftercare educational services for adults and adolescents on site, with 150 total employees.

Danielle Ameden can be reached at 508-626-4416 or dameden@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @damedenMW.